In conventional database systems, users access their data resources in one logical database. A user of such a conventional system typically retrieves data from and stores data on the system using the user's own systems. A user system might remotely access one of a plurality of server systems that might in turn access the database system. Data retrieval from the system might include the issuance of a query from the user system to the database system. The database system might process the request for information received in the query and send to the user system information relevant to the request.
One area that continues to be a goal of administrators of database systems is the ability to test the database. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a testing environment in which database testing may occur without impacting or corrupting an organization's data, or otherwise adversely impacting the organization's database.
Unfortunately, conventional database testing approaches do not lend themselves to automated techniques for generating a testing instance. In fact, conventional approaches to database test, such as for example, toolkits provided by PeopleSoft that import and/or export data over an odbc connection or via a flat file, require making a copy of an entire database instance. Unfortunately, during the time that the copy database instance is being made from the production database instance, no one is able to access the primary database instance. Also, these systems do not provide for single button copying of just metadata or metadata and business data together.
Therefore it is desirable to provide systems and methods that overcome the above and other problems. In particular, it is desirable to provide a test copy environment in which database testing may occur without impacting or corrupting an organization's data, or otherwise adversely impacting the organization's database.